Directions

Slice the avocados in half. Remove the seeds and set aside. Scoop the avocado out of the skin into a bowl. Mash with a fork or whisk and stir in the salsa. Set aside. Slice off one side of each pit to make it flat and expose the cores of the pits. They will look like eyes.

Remove all of the leaves from the cauliflower and remove the stem, leaving a nice hollow area with the outer part of the head intact. Use toothpicks to hold it together if it starts to fall apart.

Place the cauliflower into a small bowl, so that the hollow is facing upwards and most of the cauliflower is up out of the bowl. The bowl is just for stability. Fill with the avocado dip and arrange the pits as eyes. Decorate the white ''brain'' by weaving thin strands of red and blue fruit leather between the florets to make veins and arteries. I wrap the bowl with cheesecloth and decorate with red food coloring to make it even more horrific!

Most Helpful Positive Review

Oct 27, 2007

Awesome idea! It was so easy to prepare, especially because I cheated and used store bought guacamole. I used Fruit by the Foot brand fruit leather, because they carry a flavor called Berry Ty-Dye which is a mix of blues and reds. Thanks for this cute idea!

Most Helpful Critical Review

Oct 31, 2008

This was horrible. "might" need toothpicks? My cauliflower heads are medium size, and to get an opening big enough for one avocado's worth of guacamole, I cut out enough and it's falling apart. Plus, I cant get the fruit stuff to stick.
This is NOT easy. Do not do this unless you have at least an hour to figure out how to do it, and a lot of skill with toothpicks. This has to go off my menu.

I brought this dish to a Halloween party and it was a big hit! Only one note: I used the little packages of fruit leather found at the store and had a hard time getting them to stay (they weren't quite long enough). I would recommend using larger packages or something like Fruit by the Foot.

I loved this!! It was so tasty and my friends all loved it! The only thing I changed was the fruit-by-the-foot as veins, instead I dipped a toothpick in some food coloring and used that to draw veins on :) worked out perfectly!

Great idea! Looks wonderful with a little extra work. After making this several times in anticipation of a "Witches Brew and Frightful Finger Foods" cocktail party, I have perfected the best way to approach this "Brain Dip" recipe.
Heat water until it reaches a slow/ gentle boil. Set cauliflower face down carefully into the center of your boiling pot with enough water that it envelopes 90% of the cauliflower, but leaves the stem showing. The stem should be out of the water.... On a slow rolling bowl (approximately 10 -15 minutes depending on size of cauliflower) blanch the head of cauliflower until it is barely soft - this makes "carving" out the cauliflower much easier.... Let the cauliflower cool until it is warm and then hollow out the center. So much easier than other reviewers have noted!
I found the "veins" to be equally time consuming - either adding the fruit or "painting" the veins with food coloring! Either way, the end result is magnificent. Hat's off to you Annie1 for creativity and ingenuity. Thanks for a guaranteed recipe to provoke a discussion, comment or a second look for a fun filled and spooky holiday!

This was fabulous fun! The red/blue 'fruit-by-the-foot' was perfect to use for the veins. I cut very thin strips and wet them slightly before pushing them into the folds of the cauliflower. For those having issues with the cauliflower falling apart: Simply carve out a small hollow at the stem area and then spoon the dip generously over the top of the 'brain'. Do not dig out a large 'bowl' in the cauliflower or it will fall apart. Guests LOVED this presentation--thanks Annie!

This was a huge hit at my companies halloween party! As another person suggested I flipped the head of cauliflower upside down and created the hollow in the stem. I think the trick here is to have a really nice and thick guacamole that you can build upwards.. that way it won't matter how deep your hollow is. I used the guacamole recipe on this site by bob cody and it was fabulous. I also wet the fruit leather, which made it stick directly to the califlower... no weaving required. Then I dipped the left over red leather in water and rubbed it all over the cauliflower to create a red tint. I placed it all on a large round plate and surrounded it by lime chips. Delish and beautiful!

What a cute idea! I passed on the fruit roll-ups and made my veins with red and blue frosting (much easier!) but the overall effect of this was fantastic! Not to mention it's nice to be able serve some real food at my Halloween party.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.